United States · United States Congress · 25 October 2007
Mark-to-Market Extension and Enhancement Act of 2007 - Amends the Multifamily Assisted Housing Reform and Affordability Act of 1997 to: (1) extend the Federal Housing Administration (FHA)-insured Multifamily Housing Mortgage and Housing Assistance Restructuring (Mark-to-Market) program through FY2011; and (2) revise requirements for mortgage restructuring and rental assistance sufficiency plans for units assisted with project-based assistance in eligible multifamily housing projects. Authorizes the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to waive certain rent limits for disaster-damaged eligible projects. Increases the number of units eligible for such waiver from 5% to 9% of all units subject to restructured mortgages. States that certain projects may be treated as an eligible multifamily housing project if the Secretary determines that such treatment is necessary to preserve the project in the most cost-effective manner in relation to other alternative preservation options. Increases the maximum adjusted rent level for disaster-damaged eligible projects to 100% of the fair market rents for the relevant market area as they were in effect at the time of the disaster. Extends the period of eligibility for nonprofit debt relief if specified purchasers acquire a project subsequent to the date of recordation of a certain affordability agreement. Amends the United States Housing Act of 1937 to: (1) require HUD to make subsidy payments by the first business day of the month, or give a ten-day advance notice of the inability to do so; (2) entitle a project owner to obtain funds from a specified reserve if such a payment is not made within 10 days after the deadline; and (3) require HUD to pay the owner interest if a payment is not made within 30 days after the deadline.
United States · United States Congress · 23 October 2007
National Hepatitis B Act - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to develop a plan for hepatitis B prevention, control, and medical management. Requires the Secretary, acting through the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), to: (1) support the integration of testing, counseling, immunization, and medical referral activities into existing clinical and public health programs at state, local, and tribal levels; and (2) provide hepatitis B coordinators to health departments in order to ensure the success of such integration. Requires the Secretary, acting through the Director of CDC, the Administrator of the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), and the Administrator of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, to implement programs to increase awareness and enhance knowledge and understanding of hepatitis B. Requires the Secretary, acting through the Director of CDC, to: (1) support the establishment of a national hepatitis B surveillance program; and (2) report on population-based seroprevalence studies and hepatitis B's economic and clinical impact and its impact on quality of life. Requires the Secretary, acting through the Directors of CDC, the National Cancer Institute, and the National Institutes of Health (NIH), to conduct research on hepatitis B. Requires the Secretary to give priority in carrying out this Act to individuals with limited access to health education, testing, and health care services and groups that may be disproportionately affected by hepatitis B.
United States · United States Congress · 22 October 2007
Mortgage Reform and Anti-Predatory Lending Act of 2007 -- Amends the Truth in Lending Act to set forth a duty of care standard for residential mortgage loan originations. Prohibits steering incentives to mortgage originators, including incentive compensation and any yield spread premium based on, or varying with, the terms of a residential mortgage loan. Directs the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development and other specified federal banking regulatory agencies to prescribe jointly regulations to prohibit mortgage originators from steering any consumer to a residential mortgage loan that is not in the consumer's interest (loans with predatory characteristics). Sets forth licensing and registration requirements for mortgage originators. Sets forth minimum repayment standards for residential mortgage loans. Requires creditors to determine, based on verified and documented information, that a consumer has a reasonable ability to repay the loan, according to its terms, and all applicable taxes, insurance, and assessments. Prohibits creditors from extending credit for residential mortgage loans that involve refinancing of a prior residential mortgage loan unless the creditor determines that refinancing provides a net tangible benefit to the consumer. Subjects assignees and securitizers to liability for certain violations in connection with residential mortgage loans. Sets forth defenses to foreclosure. Proscribes certain practices, including: (1) certain prepayment penalties; (2) single premium credit insurance; (3) mandatory use of arbitration; and (4) negative amortization mortgages. Redefines high-cost mortgages. Prohibits balloon payments for such mortgages. Revises requirements governing prepayment penalties. Prohibits lending without due regard to repayment ability. Prohibits certain creditor practices with respect to high-cost mortgages, including: (1) recommending default on an existing loan or other debt before and in connection with closing of a high-cost mortgage that refinances all or any portion of such existing loan or debt; (2) imposing late fees except according to specified requirements; (3) exercising sole discretion to accelerate indebtedness; (4) financing points and fees; (4) structuring certain transactions and reciprocal arrangements to evade the requirements and prohibitions of this Act; and (5) charging certain modification or deferral fees, and fees for notification of payoff information. Requires pre-loan counseling.
United States · United States Congress · 18 October 2007
Requires the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) to prescribe regulations to allow federal employees who have performed sufficient service to qualify for the maximum annuity available under the Civil Service Retirement System to elect to terminate retirement deductions from their basic pay. Declares that an employee who makes such an election does not, by virtue of such election: (1) cease to be subject to civil service retirement provisions; (2) forfeit the right to have any subsequently accruing sick leave taken into account for purposes of computing what unused sick days are included in an annuity; (3) cease to be eligible to continue contributing to the Thrift Savings Fund; or (4) cease to be eligible to make any deposit remaining due.
United States · United States Congress · 18 October 2007
Urges Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, who is also Chairman of his Fatah party, to officially abrogate the 10 articles in the Fatah Constitution that call for Israel's destruction and terrorism against Israel, oppose any political solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and label Zionism as racism. Condemns the continuing existence of these articles as part of the Fatah Constitution.
United States · United States Congress · 17 October 2007
Section 515 Rural Housing Property Transfer Improvement Act of 2007 - Amends the Housing Act of 1949 to direct the Secretary of Agriculture to: (1) implement administrative and procedural changes to expedite the application approval process for transferring ownership of Section 515 rural multifamily housing projects for which a loan is either made or insured for a project's preservation, continued use restriction, and rehabilitation; and (2) actively facilitate such transfers. Grants final regulatory authority over such property transfers to the Office of Rental Housing Preservation of the Rural Housing Service of the Department of Agriculture. Sets forth deadlines for the processing of transfer applications.
United States · United States Congress · 16 October 2007
Escrow, Appraisal, and Mortgage Servicing Improvements Act - Amends the Truth in Lending Act to require a creditor, in a consumer credit transaction secured by the consumer's principal dwelling, to establish an escrow or impound account to pay taxes and hazard insurance, and, if applicable, flood insurance, mortgage insurance, ground rents, and any other required periodic payments or premiums. Requires written disclosures by the creditor to the consumer regarding: (1) such escrow or impound account; and (2) consumers who opt out of escrow services. Amends the Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act of 1974 to proscribe specified practices by the servicer of a federally related mortgage, including obtaining force-placed hazard insurance coverage to protect the mortgagee's interest in the property. Prohibits practices related to default, late fees, or foreclosure. Requires prompt: (1) crediting of payments; (2) responses to payoff balances; and (3) refund of escrow accounts upon payoff. Directs the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development to study and report to specified congressional committees on mortgage servicing fraud. Amends the Truth in Lending Act to: (1) require repayment analyses to include escrow payments; (2) include a written property appraisal as a prerequisite to granting a mortgage; (3) prohibit unfair and deceptive practices and acts relating to consumer credit transactions secured by the principal dwelling, especially in property appraisals; and (4) require a mortgage originator to make available to the credit applicant all appraisal valuation reports no later than three days prior to the transaction closing date. Amends the Financial Institutions Reform, Recovery, and Enforcement Act of 1989 to: (1) include among the functions of the Appraisal Subcommittee protection of the consumer from improper appraisal practices and the predations of unlicensed appraisers; and (2) expand state agency reporting requirements to include transmittal to the Appraisal Subcommittee of reports on claims, disciplinary actions, license and certification revocations, and suspensions. Prohibits certain interested parties in a real estate transaction involving an appraisal from engaging in specified practices to improperly influence a real estate appraisal in connection with a mortgage loan. Requires the Comptroller General to study and report to specified congressional committees on possible improvements in the appraisal process and in state compliance programs.
United States · United States Congress · 15 October 2007
Newborn Screening Saves Lives Act of 2007 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Administrator of the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), to award grants to eligible entities to provide education and training in newborn screening and congenital, genetic, and metabolic disorders to health care professionals and newborn screening laboratory personnel. Adds as a condition for eligibility for grants for screening, counseling, or health care services to newborns and children having, or at risk for, heritable disorders that an entity assure that it has or is implementing guidelines and recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Heritable Disorders in Newborns and Children. Requires the Advisory Committee on Heritable Disorders in Newborns and Children to: (1) make recommendations that include the heritable disorders for which all newborns should be screened; and (2) develop a model decision-matrix for newborn screening program expansion. Requires the Secretary, acting through the Administrator, to: (1) establish a central clearinghouse for information on newborn screening; and (2) award grants for newborn screening educational programs and for a system to assess and coordinate treatment relating to congenital, genetic, and metabolic disorders. Requires the Secretary, acting through the Director of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), to provide for: (1) quality assurance for screening laboratories; (2) population-based pilot testing for evaluating new screening tools; and (3) a national contingency plan for newborn screening in the event of a public health emergency. Requires the Secretary, acting through an Interagency Group, to: (1) collect, analyze, and make available data on certain heritable disorders; (2) operate regional centers to conduct applied epidemiological research on interventions to prevent poor health outcomes from such disorders; and (3) research and promote the prevention of poor health outcomes. Requires the Secretary to establish the Hunter Kelly Newborn Screening Research Program.
United States · United States Congress · 10 October 2007
Veterans Guaranteed Bonus Act of 2007 - Provides that, in the case of a member of the Armed Forces who is retired or separated for disability due to a combat-related injury, the Secretary of Defense shall require the continued payment of any bonuses or special pay to which the member: (1) was entitled to immediately before the retirement or separation; and (2) would continue to be entitled to if not retired or separated. Requires such payment in a lump sum within 30 days after such retirement or separation.
United States · United States Congress · 10 October 2007
Encourages the distribution of estate planning information by professionals to all Americans. Supports the designation of a National Estate Planning Awareness Week (third week of October).
United States · United States Congress · 9 October 2007
Recognizes the 60th anniversary of the Mendez v. Westminster decision which ended segregation of Mexican and Mexican American students in California schools. Honors the Mendez family, and congratulates Sylvia Mendez for her continued efforts to keep alive the importance of this case and the impact it had on her future. Encourages the continued fight against school segregation, and the education of the people of the United States in the civil right implications of the Mendez v. Westminster case.
United States · United States Congress · 4 October 2007
Military Valor Roll of Honor Act of 2007 - Directs the Secretary of Defense to establish the Military Valor Roll of Honor registry which shall: (1) contain the names and citations of all members of the Armed Forces, members of the U.S. merchant marine (including the Army Transport Service and the Naval Transport Service), and civilians affiliated with the Armed Forces who have been awarded the medal of honor or any other medal authorized by Congress for the Armed Forces, the U.S. merchant marine, or affiliated civilians; and (2) be a publicly available database.
United States · United States Congress · 3 October 2007
Instructs the Director of the National Science Foundation (NSF) to: (1) ensure that the Arecibo Observatory, in Arecibo, Puerto Rico, is fully funded to continue its research on Earth's ionosphere, its research in radio astronomy, and research on the solar system; and (2) coordinate with the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to ensure that capabilities of the Arecibo Observatory continue to be available for NASA research in characterizing and mitigating Near Earth Objects, and other research as needed.
United States · United States Congress · 1 October 2007
Commends Green Bay Packers quarterback Brett Favre for establishing a National Football League record for most career touchdown passes. Recognizes Favre for his outstanding community service in Wisconsin and Mississippi and his 16 consecutive years of dedicated service with the Packers.
United States · United States Congress · 27 September 2007
Ovarian Cancer Biomarker Research Act of 2007 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Director of the National Cancer Institute to enter into cooperative agreements with, or make grants to, public or nonprofit entities to establish and operate centers to conduct research on biomarkers for use in risk stratification for, and the early detection and screening of, ovarian cancer. Designates each center as an Ovarian Cancer Biomarker Center of Excellence. Allows federal payments under such an agreement or grant to be used for research on: (1) the development and characterization of new biomarkers and the refinement of existing biomarkers; (2) the clinical and laboratory validation of such biomarkers; (3) the development and implementation of clinical and epidemiological research on the utilization of such biomarkers; and (4) the development and implementation of repositories for new tissue, urine, serum, and other biological specimens. Requires the Director to: (1) make available for research banked serum and tissue specimens from clinical research regarding ovarian cancer that was funded by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS); (2) establish an Ovarian Cancer Biomarker Clinical Trial Committee to assist the Director to design and implement national clinical trials to determine the utility of such biomarkers; and (3) establish a national data center to conduct statistical analyses of trial data.
United States · United States Congress · 27 September 2007
Social Investment and Economic Development for the Americas Act of 2007 - Amends the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 to direct the President, through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), to provide assistance to reduce poverty, expand the middle class, and foster increased economic opportunity in Western Hemisphere countries. Establishes within USAID the Western Hemisphere Economic Investment and Development Advisory Committee which shall: (1) serve as a link among the U.S. government, nongovernmental organizations, the private sector, and other interested parties; and (2) review projects funded under this Act. Amends the Inter-American Development Bank Act to direct the Secretary of the Treasury to instruct the United States Executive Director at the Bank to use U.S. influence to urge the Bank to establish a Social Investment and Economic Development Fund for the Americas to provide assistance to reduce poverty, expand the size of the middle class, and foster increased economic opportunity in Western Hemisphere countries. Authorizes appropriations for payment to the Inter-American Development Bank of arrears owed by the United States to the Multilateral Investment Fund.
United States · United States Congress · 27 September 2007
Safety Assurance For Every Consumer Product Act or the SAFE Consumer Product Act - Amends the Consumer Product Safety Act to require (in current law, authorize) the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) to prescribe consumer product testing programs. Requires nongovernmental, independent third party testing of children's products. Increases the actions the CPSC may take in ordering recalls of products presenting substantial hazards. Makes recalled product retail sale unlawful. Requires manufacturers to mark products or packaging to enable purchasers to determine the product's source, date, and production cohort. Removes the cap on Consumer Product Safety Act civil penalties. Removes a requirement that criminal penalties may only be imposed after noncompliance notice. Reduces the period after CPSC notification to manufacturers and private labelers before public disclosure of information obtained under the Act. Requires any person who must give public notice of a substantial product hazard to post a notice on the Internet. Declares any children's product containing more than a specified amount of lead to be a banned hazardous substance under the Federal Hazardous Substances Act, allowing a temporary exception for electronic devices. Requires certain actions to facilitate recalls of children's products and authorizes the CPSC to extend the requirements to consumer products other than children's products. Requires children's product's warning labels to be included in Internet advertisements. Removes provisions requiring a minimum number of CPSC members to transact business. Modifies rulemaking notice requirements. Declares the sense of Congress that the full complement of five CPSC members is necessary to conduct CPSC business and the President should fill vacancies expeditiously. Prohibits any consumer product safety standard or other CPSC action after enactment of this Act from containing a preemption provision which affects any action under state statutory or common law unless the provision is expressly authorized by statute.
United States · United States Congress · 24 September 2007
Disapproves the rule submitted by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) requiring that aliens lawfully admitted for permanent U.S. residence, and issued a Permanent Resident Card (Form I-551) between 1979 and 1989, apply for a new card during a 120-day filing period. Provides that such rule shall have no force or effect.
United States · United States Congress · 20 September 2007
Emergency Home Ownership and Mortgage Equity Protection Act of 2007 - Amends federal bankruptcy law governing a chapter 13 debtor (adjustment of debts of an individual with regular income) to prohibit the holder of a claim in bankruptcy which is secured by debtor's principal residence from adding fees, costs, or charges while the case is pending, unless such claimholder gives timely notice to both debtor and the bankruptcy trustee. Revises requirements for the discretionary features of a chapter 13 debtor's plan. Removes the prohibition against modification of the rights of a holder of a claim secured only by an interest in real property that is the debtor's principal residence. (Thus allows a plan to modify such rights.) Authorizes a chapter 13 bankruptcy plan to provide for payment of allowed claims secured by the debtor's principal residence over a period that exceeds a specified time frame. Eliminates the pre-petition credit counseling requirement for a chapter 13 debtor facing foreclosure if the debtor submits a certification to the court that the holder of a claim secured by the debtor's principal residence has initiated foreclosure on that residence. Adds to conditions for court confirmation of a plan in bankruptcy that the holder of an allowed claim secured by the debtor's principal residence shall retain the lien securing such claim until the claim is paid. Excludes from final discharge of a debtor from all debts any allowed claim secured by the debtor's principal residence before such claim is paid.
United States · United States Congress · 19 September 2007
Native American Heritage Day Act of 2007 - Makes specified findings, including that the Friday immediately succeeding Thanksgiving Day of each year would be an appropriate day to designate as Native American Heritage Day. Encourages educational institutions to develop model educational curricula, in consultation with Native American governmental leaders, for purposes of recognizing a Native American Heritage Day, emphasizing the contributions of Native Americans to the United States and the world. Encourages the people of the United States, as well as federal, state, and local governments and interested groups and organizations to observe a Native American Heritage Day with appropriate programs, ceremonies, and activities.
United States · United States Congress · 18 September 2007
Designates the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 16731 Santa Ana Avenue in Fontana, California, as the "Beatrice E. Watson Post Office Building."
United States · United States Congress · 18 September 2007
Community Coalitions for Access and Quality Improvement Act of 2007 - Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to award grants to assist in developing integrated health care delivery systems to serve defined communities of individuals to: (1) improve efficiency and coordination among providers; (2) assist local communities in developing programs targeted toward preventing and managing chronic diseases; and (3) expand and enhance services provided. Requires eligible entities to represent a balanced consortium whose principal purpose is to ensure sustained capacity for the provision of a broad range of coordinated services for all residents, including at least one of each of the following providers that serve the community (with exceptions): (1) a federally qualified health center; (2) rural health clinics and rural health networks; (3) a hospital with a low-income utilization rate that is greater than 25% or a critical access hospital; (4) a public health department; and (5) an interested public or private sector health care provider or an organization that has traditionally served medically uninsured and low-income individuals. Authorizes the Secretary, in awarding grants, to accord priority to applicants that demonstrate the greatest unmet need for a more coordinated system of care. Authorizes a grantee to use amounts provided only for: (1) direct expenses associated with achieving greater integration of a health care delivery system to directly provide or ensure the provision of a broad range of culturally competent services; and (2) direct patient care and service expansions to fill identified or documented gaps within an integrated delivery system.
United States · United States Congress · 17 September 2007
James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act of 2007 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to establish within the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health the World Trade Center Health Program (WTC program) to provide medical monitoring and treatment benefits to: (1) eligible emergency responders and recovery and cleanup workers who responded to the New York City terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001; and (2) residents and other building occupants and area workers who were directly impacted and adversely affected by such attacks. Requires the WTC program administrator to: (1) establish the WTC Health Program Steering Committee and the WTC Health Program Scientific/Technical Advisory Committee; (2) institute a program that provides education and outreach on the existence and availability of services under the WTC program; and (3) provide for the uniform collection of data related to WTC-related health conditions. Authorizes the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish similar programs with respect to the terrorist attack at the Pentagon on September 11, 2001. Requires the administrator to conduct or support research on: (1) physical and mental health conditions that may be related to the September 11 terrorist attacks; and (2) diagnosing and treating WTC-related health conditions. Requires the administrator to extend and expand arrangements with the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene to provide for the World Trade Center Health Registry. Authorizes the administrator to make grants to the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene to address mental health needs relating to the terrorist attacks. Amends the Air Transportation Safety and System Stabilization Act to provide, under certain circumstances, for an extension of time for filing claims under the September 11 Victim Compensation Fund of 2001.
United States · United States Congress · 14 September 2007
Public and Teaching Hospital Preservation Act - Amends the U.S. Troop Readiness, Veterans' Care, Katrina Recovery, and Iraq Accountability Appropriations Act of 2007 to extend by one year the moratorium on: (1) implementation of a rule relating to the federal-state financial partnership under titles XIX (Medicaid) and XXI (State Children's Health Insurance Program) (SCHIP) of the Social Security Act; and (2) finalization of a Medicaid rule regarding the treatment of graduate medical education (GME).
United States · United States Congress · 7 September 2007
Expresses sympathy to and support for the people and governments of the countries of Central America, the Caribbean, and Mexico in this time of devastation caused by Hurricanes Felix, Dean, and Henriette. Vows continued friendship and support for our neighbors in Central America, the Caribbean, and Mexico. Recognizes the assistance efforts of the U.S. government, relief organizations, and the international community.
United States · United States Congress · 3 August 2007
Directs the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President Pro Tempore of the Senate to arrange for the presentation of a congressional gold medal to Arnold Palmer (golf professional) in recognition of his service to the nation in promoting excellence and good sportsmanship.
United States · United States Congress · 3 August 2007
Mental Health in Schools Act of 2007 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to make changes to the program to apply a public health approach to mental health services, including by revising eligibility requirements for a grant, contract, or cooperative agreement. Makes only a consortium that includes at least one educational agency eligible for such funding. Allows such a consortium to: (1) include a community program, an agency that is involved in mental health, or a school; and (2) consist of a consortium in which the members select an agent (such as a local educational agency or community health care entity) to act on the consortium's behalf. Sets forth assurances required for eligibility, including assurances that: (1) the local education agency will enter into a memorandum of understanding with relevant community-based entities that clearly states the responsibilities of each consortium member; (2) the program will include comprehensive staff development for school and community service personnel working in the school and training for children with mental health disorders, for family members of such children, and for concerned members of the community; and (3) the program will demonstrate the measures to be taken to sustain the program after funding terminates. Requires the Administrator of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration to develop a process for evaluating grant program activities, including: (1) the development of guidelines for the submission of program data by recipients; and (2) the development of measures of outcomes to be applied by recipients in evaluating programs, to include student and family measures and local educational measures.
United States · United States Congress · 3 August 2007
Calls on the U.S. government to initiate a new effort to help Turkey understand the benefits it will accrue by ending its military occupation of Cyprus. Urges the government of Turkey to begin withdrawing its military occupation forces from Cyprus.
United States · United States Congress · 2 August 2007
Early Treatment for HIV Act of 2007 - Amends title XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act to give states the option of providing Medicaid coverage for certain low-income HIV-infected individuals. Provides states taking advantage of this option with an enhanced federal Medicaid match.
United States · United States Congress · 2 August 2007
Homes for Heroes Act of 2007 - Amends the Department of Housing and Urban Development Act to establish in the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) a Special Assistant for Veterans Affairs to: (1) ensure veteran access to HUD housing and homeless assistance programs; (2) coordinate all HUD programs and activities relating to veterans; and (3) serve as a HUD liaison with the Department of Veterans Affairs. Directs the HUD Secretary to provide assistance to private nonprofit organizations and consumer cooperatives to expand the supply of supportive housing for very low-income veteran families (that is, families with incomes not exceeding 50% of the area median income). Amends the United States Housing Act of 1937 to: (1) make housing rental vouchers available to homeless veterans; and (2) include veterans in public housing planning. Excludes veterans' benefits from income for purposes of HUD assisted housing rental determinations. Requires the Secretary to: (1) make grants to nonprofit entities for technical assistance in sponsoring HUD housing projects for veterans; and (2) report annually to specified congressional committees and the Secretary of Veterans Affairs on HUD activities relating to veterans.
United States · United States Congress · 1 August 2007
21st Century Servicemembers Protection Act - Amends the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act to allow individuals called to military service to terminate or suspend a service contract, after the date of entry into service or the date of the military orders, if: (1) the service contract (such as phone, cable, Internet, or utilities) is executed before the individual is called to service for a period of at least 90 days; or (2) the person enters into the contract while in military service and thereafter receives orders for a change of permanent station to a location outside the United States, or to deploy with a military unit for a period of at least 180 days. Provides penalties against anyone who: (1) holds property or funds of a person in military service who lawfully terminates a contract; or (2) violates the 6% limit on interest rates charged to servicemembers during a period of military service.
United States · United States Congress · 1 August 2007
Providing Resources Early for Kids Act of 2007 or the PRE-K Act - Amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to direct the Secretary of Education to award matching grants to states to enhance or improve state-funded preschool programs. Sets forth a grant formula favoring states that: (1) have curricula aligned with state early learning standards; (2) follow nationally-established best practices for class size and teacher-to-student ratios; (3) require each teacher to hold at least an associate degree in early childhood education or a related field; and (4) have a plan for meeting the requirement, within five years of receiving such grant, that teachers hold at least a baccalaureate degree in early childhood education. Directs the Secretary to establish a competitive process for awarding grants to other states that demonstrate that they will meet such requirements within two fiscal years. Prohibits state grantees from reducing their preschool or child care expenditures. Includes among grant uses: (1) increasing the qualifications of, and benefits provided to, teachers, teacher aides, and program directors; (2) decreasing class size and improving teacher-to-student ratios; (3) providing certain comprehensive services that support healthy child development; (4) extending program hours per day and weeks per year; and (5) improving program monitoring and learning environments. Reserves funds for competitive grants to Indians for their preschool programs.
United States · United States Congress · 1 August 2007
Expressing the sense of Congress that the United States should set a national goal of cutting poverty in half over the next 10 years using a strategy that promotes good jobs at livable wages.
United States · United States Congress · 31 July 2007
Recognizes the 200th birthday of Martha Coffin Wright (women's rights organizer and abolitionist). Recognizes the induction of Martha Coffin Wright into the National Women's Hall of Fame and honors her accomplishments in her fight for equal rights for all Americans.
United States · United States Congress · 30 July 2007
National Infantry Museum and Soldier Center Commemorative Coin Act - Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to mint and issue $1 coins emblematic of the courage, pride, sacrifice, sense of duty, and history of the U.S. Infantry, in commemoration of the legacy of the U.S. Army Infantry and the establishment of the National Infantry Museum and Soldier Center. Expresses the sense of Congress that the coins should be struck at the U.S. Mint at West Point, New York, to the greatest extent possible. Restricts coin issuance to calendar year 2012. Requires a $10 surcharge per coin, and payment of all surcharges received to the National Infantry Foundation to establish an endowment to support the maintenance of the National Infantry Museum and Soldier Center.
United States · United States Congress · 30 July 2007
Disapproves the rule submitted by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services to the Congress on June 6, 2007, relating to adjustment of the immigration and naturalization benefit application and petition fee schedule, and states that such rule shall have no force or effect.
United States · United States Congress · 26 July 2007
ADA Restoration Act of 2007 - Amends the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 to remove from the definition of "disability" a reference to substantially limiting one or more major life activities. Prohibits, in determining whether an individual has an impairment, considering the impact of any mitigating measures the individual may be using or whether any impairment manifestations are episodic, in remission, or latent. Considers actions taken because of an individual's use of a mitigating measure to be actions taken on the basis of a disability. Defines "record of physical or mental impairment" as having a history of, or having been misclassified as having, a physical or mental impairment. Defines "regarded as having a physical or mental impairment" as being perceived or treated as having a physical or mental impairment whether or not the individual has an impairment. Prohibits employment discrimination on the basis of disability (under current law, against a qualified individual with a disability because of the disability). Allows, as a defense to a charge of discrimination, that the individual alleging discrimination is not a qualified individual with a disability. Requires that the Act's provisions be broadly construed. Empowers: (1) the Attorney General to promulgate regulations and guidance to provide for consistent and effective standards among enforcing agencies; and (2) the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and Secretary of Transportation to then issue implementing regulations or policy guidance consistent with the Attorney General's requirements. Entitles duly issued federal regulations and guidance to deference by administrative bodies or officers and courts.
United States · United States Congress · 24 July 2007
Tribal Government Tax-Exempt Bond Parity Act of 2007 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to permit the issuance of tax-exempt bonds by an Indian tribal government or subdivision if: (1) at least 95 percent of the net proceeds are used to finance facilities on an Indian reservation; or (2) the obligation is part of an issue substantially all of whose proceeds are to be used in the exercise of an essential government function. Excludes an obligation used to finance any part of a building in which class II or III gaming is conducted or housed or any other property actually used in the conduct of such gaming. Amends the Securities Act of 1933 to exempt obligations issued by an Indian tribal government or subdivision from registration requirements.
United States · United States Congress · 23 July 2007
Opt Out of Iraq War Act of 2007 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to allow taxpayers to designate that the percentage of their income, estate, or gift tax payments that would otherwise be used to fund the Iraq war be paid into a Future Fund from which funding will be provided, in equal amounts, to the Head Start program, to reduce the national debt, and for a Children of Iraq War Veterans College Fund. Requires amounts in the College Fund to be used to pay the college costs of students that had a parent in the Armed Forces who served in the Iraq war for at least 180 days, died as the result of service in such war, or was hospitalized and unable to return to duty due to such service.
United States · United States Congress · 19 July 2007
Flood Insurance Reform and Modernization Act of 2007 - Instructs the Comptroller General to study and report to Congress regarding: (1) national flood insurance program coverage for pre-FIRM properties: (2) amending the Flood Disaster Protection Act of 1973 for properties subject to mandatory flood insurance coverage purchase requirements; and (3) ways to increase participation by low-income families in the national flood insurance program. Amends the Flood Disaster Protection Act of 1973 to increase civil monetary penalties for the failure of a regulated lending institution to require flood insurance or notify borrowers of its availability. Amends the National Flood Insurance Act of 1968 to: (1) provide phase-in actuarial rates for nonresidential properties and non-primary residences; (2) provide multiperil coverage for flood and windstorm; (3) prohibit duplicative coverage; (4) revise maximum coverage limits; and (5) provide coverage for additional living expenses, basement improvements, business interruption, and replacement cost of contents. Requires the Director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to promote notification of the availability of flood insurance coverage to tenants in special flood hazard areas. Increases the annual limitation on premium increases. Requires FEMA to: (1) participate, upon state request, in state disaster claims mediation programs; and (2) submit an annual financial status report to Congress regarding the national flood insurance program. Authorizes: (1) FEMA grants for outreach to encourage purchases of flood insurance protection; and (2) grants for direct funding of mitigation activities for individual repetitive claims properties. Extends a pilot program for mitigation of severe repetitive loss properties. Declares property demolition and rebuilding eligible for flood mitigation assistance. Amends the Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act of 1974 to require that a lender's good faith estimates of settlement services include notice: (1) of the availability of the national flood insurance; and (2) that escrow of flood insurance payments is required for certain loans. Reiterates the directive to FEMA of the Bunning-Bereuter-Blumenauer Flood Insurance Reform Act of 2004 to establish an appeals process for flood insurance policyholders. Directs FEMA to establish an ongoing program to review, update, and maintain national flood insurance program rate maps. Requires FEMA to use plain, easy to understand language in materials that explain replacement costs, insurance forms, and policies. Authorizes FEMA to employ additional staff. Extends: (1) the deadline for filing proof of loss; and (2) the national flood insurance program.
United States · United States Congress · 16 July 2007
Recognizes the importance of the Gulf Coast region to the U.S. economy, as well as the cultural contributions of its people. Expresses the support of the House of Representatives for all individuals still affected by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita two years after these terrible natural disasters struck.
United States · United States Congress · 12 July 2007
Military Spouses Memorial Act of 2007 - Authorizes the Military Spouse Legacy Association, Inc., to establish a commemorative work on federal land in the District of Columbia and its environs to honor all those who have put their country first as military spouses throughout our Nation's history. Prohibits the use of federal funds to pay any expense of the establishment of the commemorative work. Makes the Military Spouse Legacy Association, Inc., solely responsible for acceptance of contributions for, and payment of the expenses of, the establishment of such work.
United States · United States Congress · 12 July 2007
Health Equity and Accountability Act of 2007 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish the Robert T. Matsui Center for Cultural and Linguistic Competence in Health Care. Provides for health care workforce diversity activities, including the establishment of: (1) a technical clearinghouse on health workforce diversity; and (2) Regional Minority Centers of Excellence Programs. Requires health-related programs of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to collect data on race, ethnicity, and primary language. Directs each federal health agency to implement a strategic plan to eliminate disparities and improve the health and health care of minority populations. Requires the Secretary to establish: (1) an Office of Health Disparities within the Office of Civil Rights; and (2) civil rights compliance offices in each HHS agency that administers health programs. Reestablishes the Indian Health Service as an agency within the Public Health Service of HHS to be administered by an Assistant Secretary of Indian Health. Requires the establishment of an Office of Minority Health within specified agencies. Directs the President to execute, administer, and enforce provisions to address environmental justice in minority and low-income populations. Provides for the establishment of health empowerment zone programs in communities that disproportionately experience disparities in health status and health care. Requires the Secretary to designate centers of excellence at public hospitals and other health systems that demonstrate excellence in providing care to minority populations and reducing health disparities. Makes immigrants from certain U.S. territories and possessions eligible for specified federal programs. Requires the Secretary to expand the Minority HIV/AIDS Initiative. Provides for grants for strategies to eliminate racial and ethnic health and health care disparities. Requires the Secretary to establish the Rural Health Quality Advisory Commission.
![Official portrait of Rep. Baca, Joe [D-CA-43]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/b001234_200.jpg)